Information processing device and setting device

ABSTRACT

A control section includes: an identifying section configured to, by referring to one or more search keywords set for one or more control targets, identify at least one search keyword from among the one or more search keywords, the at least one search keyword matching any of one or more main words contained in input data acquired through voice input; and a selecting section configured to select at least one control target from among the one or more control targets based on one or more numeric values obtained through calculation of one or more expressions each of which batch-converts, into numerical form, one or more of the one or more search keywords set for the one or more control targets.

This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 onPatent Application No. 2019-209871 filed in Japan on November 20, 2019,the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an information processing device and asetting device.

BACKGROUND ART

A technique to search for a control target through voice input has beenknown as a conventional technique. For example, Patent Literature 1discloses an information processing device which: assigns weights to afirst voice, which is a voice of a user, and a second voice, which is avoice of a person over the phone, respectively; and determines, inaccordance with the values of the weights, which of the first and secondvoices should be given higher priority.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

[Patent Literature 1]

Japanese Patent Application Publication Tokukai No. 2016-19070(Publication date: Feb. 1, 2016)

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The information processing device disclosed in Patent Literature 1merely assigns weights to the first voice and the second voice,respectively, and therefore it is difficult to carry out the search in amanner such that applications having similar keywords are distinguishedfrom each other. Therefore, the information processing device isincapable of sufficiently improving the accuracy of selection of anapplication. An object of an aspect of the present invention is toimprove the accuracy of selection of a control target.

Solution to Problem

In order to attain the above object, an information processing device inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention includes: anidentifying section configured to, by referring to one or more searchkeywords set for one or more control targets, identify at least onesearch keyword from among the one or more search keywords, the at leastone search keyword matching any of one or more main words contained ininput data acquired through voice input; and a selecting sectionconfigured such that: the at least one search keyword identified by theidentifying section is referred to; and thereby the selecting sectionselects at least one control target from among the one or more controltargets based on one or more numeric values obtained through calculationof one or more expressions each of which batch-converts, into numericalform, one or more of the one or more search keywords set for the one ormore control targets.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

An aspect of the present invention makes it possible to improve theaccuracy of selection of a control target.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating configurations of a PC, aprogrammable display device, and an external device, in accordance withEmbodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing steps of a process carried out by theprogrammable display device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an edit screen for screen editing, which is displayedby a display included in the PC of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a settings screen which is displayed on the displayincluded in the PC of FIG. 1 and on which search conditions are set.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of the process of text-to-speechconversion of variable carried out by a control section included in theprogrammable display device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates how a graphics screen moves.

FIG. 7 shows search conditions stored in a user memory of a programmabledisplay device in accordance with Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1

The following description will discuss, with reference to FIG. 1,configurations of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”for short) 1 (setting device), a programmable display device 2(information processing device), and an external device 5. FIG. 1 is ablock diagram illustrating the configurations of the PC 1, theprogrammable display device 2, and the external device 5, in accordancewith Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

(Configuration of PC 1)

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the PC 1 includes a control section 11, adisplay 12, an interface section 13, an operation section 14, and astorage section 15. The PC 1 is connected to the programmable displaydevice 2. The PC 1 functions as a screen creating device that executes aprogram for screen editing and thereby creates a graphics screen that isto be displayed by the programmable display device 2.

The control section 11 controls each section of the PC 1. The controlsection 11 includes a setting section 111 and a simulation section 112.The control section 11 carries out control related to display by thedisplay 12, and carries out control related to communications betweenthe PC 1 and the programmable display device 2 through the interfacesection 13. The display 12 is a monitor that displays the results ofprocessing by the PC 1. The interface section 13 is a communicationsection through which the PC 1 communicates with the programmabledisplay device 2, and is configured to communicate with a controlsection 10 of the programmable display device 2. The operation section14 is, for example, a keyboard through which a user inputs data or amouse operated by a user. The storage section 15 stores the results ofprocessing by the PC 1.

(Processing by PC 1)

The control section 11 of the PC 1 executes a screen editing program, asthe program for screen editing. Upon execution of the screen editingprogram by the control section 11, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the display12 displays thereon an edit screen ED for screen editing. FIG. 3illustrates the edit screen ED for screen editing, which is displayed bythe display 12 included in the PC 1 of FIG. 1. The edit screenillustrated in FIG. 3 is an example. The edit screen ED contains screenselection tabs T1, T2, and T3, a graphics screen PM, and a property PP.The edit screen ED is an edit screen in a graphics-creating tool forcreating graphics screens. The graphics-creating tool is software thatis a bundle of various kinds of screen editing functions realized byexecution of the screen editing program, which are bundled for userconvenience.

User operations of the edit screen ED described here can be carried outthrough the operation section 14. The setting section 111 stores, in thestorage section 15, settings made on the edit screen ED. When the usermakes a click on the screen selection tab T1, a graphics screen PM for ascreen P1 is displayed in the left part of the edit screen ED.Similarly, when the user makes a click on the screen selection tab T2 orT3, a graphics screen for a screen P2 or P3 is displayed in the leftpart of the edit screen ED. The user can place, on the graphics screenPM, an object OB representing a material tank MA which is a controltarget. The user can place one or more objects of one or more controltargets on the graphics screen PM.

When the user makes a click on the object OB, the property PP of thematerial tank MA is displayed in the right part of the edit screen ED.The property PP contains entry boxes I1 and I2. The user can enter oneor more required words, as search keywords, in the entry box I1, and canenter one or more preferred words, as search keywords, in the entry boxI2, during execution of a runtime program. Note that the entry ofpreferred words in the entry box I2 is not essential, and the entry boxI2 may be left blank. Furthermore, the property PP may contain, insteadof the entry boxes I1 and I2, boxes in which a list of required words(candidates) and a list of preferred words (candidates) are displayed.

Also with regard to entry boxes corresponding to the objects of theother control targets, required words and preferred words can beentered. As such, one or more search keywords are set for one or morecontrol targets, and the search keywords are classified into requiredwords and preferred words. For the purpose of addressing the followingcases, search keywords may be placed between predetermined marks such asquotation marks. Such cases are, specifically, cases where a singlecontrol target is represented by two or more words in English or thelike, cases where there is a need to distinguish between a number as asearch keyword and a numeric value indicative of the result ofcalculation of an expression concerning search keywords, and the likecases.

Furthermore, when the user makes a right-click on an area other than theobject OB on the graphics screen PM, a property (not illustrated) of thegraphics screen PM is displayed in the right part of the edit screen ED.The property contains: an entry box where the name of a screen or ascreen number can be entered; and an entry box where a single requiredword can be entered.

In response to user operation of the operation section 14, the controlsection 11 switches the edit screen ED to a settings screen SS on whichsearch conditions shown in FIG. 4 are set. FIG. 4 shows the settingsscreen SS, which is displayed on the display 12 included in the PC 1 ofFIG. 1 and on which search conditions are set. The settings screen SScontains a number display column N1, a variable entry column V1, a nameentry column NA, and entry columns CF1 and CF2.

User operations of the settings screen SS described here can be carriedout through the operation section 14. The setting section 111 stores, inthe storage section 15, settings made on the settings screen SS. Thenumber display column N1 contains numbers for respective controltargets. The user can enter variables in the variable entry column V1 ona per-control target basis. Each of the variables here is the one basedon which the control section 10 of the programmable display device 2identifies a corresponding control target. More specifically, thevariable is associated with the address of an internal memory of the PLC3 or with the address of an internal memory of the programmable displaydevice 2, and is information in the form that is easily understandableto the user, such as a character string representing a control target.

Similarly, the user can enter the names of control targets in the nameentry column NA. Each of the names here is for the user to easilyidentify a corresponding control target. The variables are associatedwith the object OB; therefore, on the settings screen SS, the name ofthe object OB corresponding to the variables may be displayed.

The user can enter expressions for conversion of required words intonumerical form in the entry column CF1, and can enter expressions forconversion of preferred words into numerical form in the entry columnCF2. The user can enter, as an expression for conversion of requiredwords into numerical form, for example, the expression “(tank & (sourcematerial|raw material))” in one of the cells of the entry column CF1corresponding to the current fill level of the material tank MA. Theuser can use, as required words, the words “tank”, “source material”,and “raw material” entered in the entry box I1, and can prepareexpressions using such required words.

The user can enter, as an expression for conversion of preferred wordsinto numerical form, for example, the expression“(remaining|level|current fill level|quantity)” in one of the cells ofthe entry column CF2 corresponding to the current fill level of thematerial tank MA. The user can use, as preferred words, the words“remaining”, “level”, “current fill level”, and “quantity” entered inthe entry box I2, and can prepare expressions using such preferredwords.

Note that the following arrangement may be employed: an expression forconversion of required words into numerical form can be entered directlyin the entry box I1; and an expression for conversion of preferred wordsinto numerical form can be entered directly in the entry box I2.Alternatively, the following arrangement may be employed: an expressionfor conversion of required words into numerical form and an expressionfor conversion of preferred words into numerical form can be entereddirectly in the entry columns CF1 and CF2, respectively, withoutentering required words and preferred words in the entry boxes I1 andI2, respectively. Also in such cases, search keywords are classifiedinto required words and preferred words.

The property PP does not need to contain the entry box I2. In a casewhere the property PP does not contain the entry box I2, the entry boxI1 of the property PP may be arranged such that either (i) a requiredword(s) or (ii) an expression(s) for conversion of required words intonumerical form is/are entered in the entry box I1. Also with regard tothe entry columns CF1 and CF2, the settings screen SS does not need tocontain the entry column CF2. In a case where, of the edit screen ED andthe settings screen SS, only the edit screen ED is used for settings,the property PP may contain entry boxes in which variables and names canbe entered.

As has been described, in accordance with the user input operationthrough the operation section 14, the setting section 111 sets, for oneor more control targets, a search keyword(s) and an expression(s) forconversion of search keywords into numerical form. According to thisconfiguration, the user can easily set, through the PC 1, a searchkeyword(s) and an expression(s) for one or more targets. This makes itpossible for the user to easily achieve an improvement in accuracy ofselection of a control target(s).

(Simulation)

Assume a situation in which settings have been done on the edit screenED and/or the settings screen SS of the screen editing program. In thissituation, a user can run a simulation to see which control target isselected in response to a certain sentence, by entering the sentenceinto the PC 1 through, for example, voice input by speech or text input.The simulation is carried out in a simulation manner by the simulationsection 112. The course of the simulation carried out by the simulationsection 112 is displayed on the display 12. The user can select how tocarry out an actual operation of a control target, how to display themanner in which search keywords are selected, and the like.

The simulation is carried out to check whether or not processes afterthe speech are carried out properly. For example, in the simulation,when the user enters the sentence “What is the temperature of thetank?”, the simulation section 112 extracts the main words “tank” and“temperature” from user input data which is the sentence entered by theuser.

The simulation section 112 causes the display 12 to display at least oneof (i) the course of a process in which a search keyword(s) is/areidentified in a simulation manner and (ii) the course of a process inwhich a control target(s) is/are selected in a simulation manner.Specifically, the simulation section 112 causes the display 12 todisplay the course of a process in which: the search keyword(s) set bythe setting section 111 for the control target(s) is/are referred to;and thereby a search keyword(s) matching any of the extracted mainword(s) is/are identified in a simulation manner. The simulation section112 causes the display 12 to display the course of a process in which acontrol target(s) is/are selected in a simulation manner based on anumeric value(s) obtained through calculation of an expression(s) forconversion, into numerical form, of the search keyword(s) set by thesetting section 111 for the control target(s).

According to the above configuration, the user can pre-check, throughthe PC 1, whether or not a process to select a control target(s) iscarried out properly on the programmable display device 2. Furthermore,since the identifying process and selecting process are displayed in asimulation manner on the PC 1 before the search keyword(s) andexpression(s) are transmitted to the control section 10, the user caneasily check whether or not a process to select a control target(s) iscarried out properly.

Moreover, since the simulation demonstrates the course through to theselection of a control target(s) based on the result(s) of calculationof the expression(s), the user can check whether the selected result iscorrect or not. It will cost a lot of time and effort to check manycontrol targets on-site in a debug mode (described later) of theprogrammable display device 2. The simulation presents, before carryingout the debug mode, the process carried out in the programmable displaydevice 2 in a simulation manner as far as possible.

(Configuration of External Device 5)

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the external device 5 includes a controlsection 31, a display section 32, an interface section 33, and a touchpanel 34. The external device 5 is, for example, a mobile terminal thatis configured to communicate with the programmable display device 2. Thecontrol section 31 controls each section of the external device 5. Thecontrol section 31 identifies a control action from operation on thetouch panel 34. The control section 31 carries out control related todisplay by the display section 32, and carries out control related tocommunications between the external device 5 and the programmabledisplay device 2 through the interface section 33. The interface section33 is a communication section through which the external device 5communicates with the programmable display device 2.

(Configuration of Programmable Display Device 2)

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the programmable display device 2 includes acontrol section 10, a display section 20, a touch panel 30, a usermemory 40, a microphone 50, a speaker 60, and interface sections 70, 80,and 90. The programmable display device 2 is connected to a programmablelogic controller (PLC) 3.

The programmable display device 2 is connected to the PLC 3 through acommunication cable, and thereby communicates with the PLC 3. Theprogrammable display device 2 is a dedicated computer which displays agraphics screen for operation and display and thereby realizes theoperation function and display function specific to the programmabledisplay device. The programmable display device 2 is used as a humanmachine interface (HMI).

The control section 10 identifies the action of displaying the status ofa device 4 connected to the PLC 3, the action of controlling the statusof the device 4 in accordance with the operation on the touch panel 30,and the like. The control section 10 controls each section of theprogrammable display device 2. The control section 10 includes a storagecontrol section 110, a conversion-to-text section 120, a classifyingsection 130, an extracting section 140, an identifying section 150, anexecuting section 160, a selecting section 170, a course-of-processdisplay control section 180, an edit section 190, a display switchingcontrol section 200, and a screen display control section 230. Thescreen display control section 230 includes a screen movement controlsection 210 and an emphasis control section 220. The details ofprocesses carried out by respective sections in the control section 10will be described later.

The display section 20 displays a graphics screen created by a user, thestatus of the device 4, and the like. The user memory 40 stores thereinone or more graphics screens created by a user, in the form of a screenfile made up of a collection (group) of one or more graphics screensrelating to each other. Such a screen file is prepared by the controlsection 11 of the PC 1 and downloaded from the PC 1.

The microphone 50 is a part through which a voice issued by the user isinputted. The speaker 60 is a part through which a sound is outputtedfrom the programmable display device 2. Note that the programmabledisplay device 2 may contain an interface(s) alone instead of themicrophone 50 and the speaker 60. If the programmable display device 2contains an interface(s) alone, the microphone 50 and the speaker 60,which are external devices, are connected to the programmable displaydevice 2 through the interface(s). The interface section 70 is acommunication section through which the programmable display device 2communicates with the PC 1. The interface section 80 is a communicationsection through which the programmable display device 2 communicateswith the PLC 3. The interface section 90 is a communication sectionthrough which the programmable display device 2 communicates with theexternal device 5.

The PLC 3 is a control device which, in accordance with a sequentialprogram prepared by a user, reads the status of the device 4 andprovides a control instruction to the device 4 at predetermined scanningtimes. The device 4 may be controlled by the PLC 3 or may be configuredto output detected values (e.g., a sensor). There are a plurality ofsuch devices 4.

(Process Carried Out By Programmable Display Device 2)

The following description will discuss a process carried out by theprogrammable display device 2, with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is aflowchart showing steps of a process carried out by the programmabledisplay device 2 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the storage controlsection 110 first causes the user memory 40 to store a search keyword(s)set for one or more control targets such as a screen(s), a variable(s),and/or a component(s), relating to information acquired by theprogrammable display device 2 from the PLC 3.

The control section 11 provides, to the interface section 13, settingsinformation set on the edit screen ED and/or the settings screen SS ofthe screen editing program. The interface section 13 transmits, to theinterface section 70, the settings information provided from the controlsection 11. The interface section 70 provides, to the control section10, the settings information transmitted from the interface section 13.Specifically, the interface section 13 transmits, to the control section10, a search keyword(s) set by the setting section 111 and anexpression(s) to convert search keyword into numerical form. At least aportion of a process carried out by the control section 10, describedlater, may be carried out by a server which is communicably connected tothe programmable display device 2.

The storage control section 110 stores the settings information in theuser memory 40. The settings information contains the search keyword(s),and therefore this means that the storage control section 110 stores, inthe user memory 40, the search keyword(s) set for one or more controltargets. Note that the settings information may be copied from the PC 1to the programmable display device 2 with use of a storage medium. Asthe storage medium, a memory card (universal serial bus (USB) memory ora secure digital (SD) card) may be used for the programmable displaydevice 2.

The process in which the settings information is stored in the usermemory 40 is completed before step 51 and subsequent steps are carriedout by the programmable display device 2, and is not carried out whilethe programmable display device 2 is in operation. After the completionof the process in which the settings information is stored in the usermemory 40, the settings information, which contains the searchkeyword(s) and expression(s), may be stored in the storage section 15 ofthe PC 1 or stored in the server.

The storage control section 110 may store the settings information inthe PLC 3 so that the settings information can be easily edited by aperson who made a program of the PLC 3 and that the settings informationcan be shared by, for example, a supervisory control and dataacquisition (SCADA) which is used as a host human machine interface(HMI), while the programmable display device 2 is in operation. Forexample, the storage control section 110 may store the settingsinformation in a memory included in the PLC 3.

In a case where the settings information is stored in the PLC 3, oncethe user carries out operation on the touch panel 34, the controlsection 31 provides, to the interface section 33, content of the useroperation on the touch panel 34. The interface section 33 transmits thecontent of the operation to the interface section 90, and the interfacesection 90 provides the content of the operation to the control section10. The edit section 190 causes content stored in the memory of the PLC3 to reflect the received content of the operation, through theinterface section 80.

Under the condition in which the settings information is stored in theuser memory 40, a voice issued by the user is inputted through themicrophone 50. The microphone 50 converts the voice into audio data, andprovides the audio data to the control section 10. The control section10 receives the audio data from the microphone 50 (S1).

The conversion-to-text section 120 converts the received audio data intoinput data in the form of text data (S2). The conversion by theconversion-to-text section 120 is carried out by a known method. Theconversion-to-text section 120 provides, to the classifying section 130,the input data acquired through voice input. The classifying section130, in accordance with preset conditions, classifies the intent ofspeech based on the input data (S3).

The classifying section 130 may be configured to, with use of a neuralnetwork included in the control section 10, classify the intent ofspeech based on the input data. Specifically, the classifying section130 receives input data, extracts characteristics from the input data,and inputs the characteristics to the neural network. The neural networkclassifies the intent of speech based on the inputted characteristics.The classifying section 130 generates the intent of speech classified bythe neural network.

After the classifying section 130 has classified the intent of speech,the extracting section 140 extracts one or more main words from theinput data (S4). Note that the extracting section 140 may extract one ormore main words obtained together with the intent of speech classifiedby the classifying section 130, or may extract, from the entire text ofthe input data, only one or more main words that match a searchkeyword(s) set for one or more control targets.

The control section 10 determines which of a plurality of intent classesprogrammed in the control section 10 the class of the intent classifiedby the classifying section 130 falls under (S5). In step S5, forexample, in a case where the class of the intent classified by theclassifying section 130 is text-to-speech conversion of variable, thecontrol section 10 carries out a process of text-to-speech conversion ofvariable (S6).

In a case where, in step S5, the class of the intent classified by theclassifying section 130 is screen switching, the control section 10carries out a screen switching process (S7). Similarly, in a case where,in step S5, the class of the intent classified by the classifyingsection 130 is component search, value setting, or some other class, thecontrol section 10 carries out a component search process, value settingprocess, or some other process (S8 to S10), respectively. Such otherprocess is different from any of processes of S6 to S9.

(Process of Text-To-Speech Conversion of Variable)

The following description discusses, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5,the process of text-to-speech conversion of variable (step S6) carriedout by the control section 10.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of the process of text-to-speechconversion of variable carried out by the control section 10 included inthe programmable display device 2 of FIG. 1. The user memory 40 storestherein settings information made on the settings screen SS illustratedin FIG. 4. First, as shown in FIG. 5, the identifying section 150identifies a search keyword(s) matching any of the one or more mainwords extracted by the extracting section 140 (S21).

For example, in a case where the user says “What is the current filllevel of the tank A1?”, the extracting section 140 extracts the words“tank”, “A1” and “current fill level” as main words. The identifyingsection 150 refers to, for example, the search keyword(s) contained inthe settings information which has been stored in the user memory 40 bythe storage control section 110. With this, the identifying section 150identifies, on the settings screen SS, “tank”, “A1” and “current filllevel” as search keywords that match the main words. In this way, theidentifying section 150 refers to the search keyword(s) set by the user,in order to identify at least one search keyword matching any of themain words from among the search keyword(s).

Specifically, the identifying section 150 refers to a required word(s)and a preferred word(s) contained in the settings information from theuser memory 40. With this, the identifying section 150 identifies arequired word(s) matching one or more main words, and identifies apreferred word(s) matching one or more main words. Specifically, theidentifying section 150 identifies “tank” and “A1” as required wordsthat match main words, and identifies “current fill level” as apreferred word that matches a main word.

The executing section 160 carries out calculation of an expression(s)for batch conversion of one or more search keywords set for a controltarget(s) into numerical form, by referring to the “tank”, “A1”, and“current fill level” identified by the identifying section 150.Specifically, the executing section 160 first carries out calculation ofan expression(s) for conversion of required words into numerical form,in order to narrow down a list of candidate variables (S22). Note herethat, in the expressions, each search keyword identified by theidentifying section 150 is converted to 1, and each search keyword notidentified by the identifying section 150 is converted to 0. Theoperator “&” in the expressions is indicative of the logical operatorAND, the operator “|” in the expressions is indicative of the logicaloperator OR. The same conditions also apply to expressions forconversion of preferred words into numerical form.

With regard to step S22, for the name “current fill level of materialtank MA”, the expression (tank & (source material|raw material))evaluates to (1 & (0|0))=0. For the name “set temperature of tank A1”,the expression (tank & A1) evaluates to (1 & 1)=1. Also for the name“current temperature of tank A1” and the name “level of tank A1”, theresult is also 1. As such, narrowing down of the list of candidatevariables using required words is carried out prior to narrowing downthe list of candidate variables using preferred words. This makes itpossible to reduce processing load for searching.

Next, the executing section 160 determines whether or not there is avariable for which the numeric value of the result of calculation of itscorresponding expression for conversion of required words into numericalform is not 0 (S23). If there is no variable for which the numeric valueof the result of calculation of its corresponding expression is not 0(NO in S23), the executing section 160 carries out a text-to-speechconversion process in which the executing section 160 generates an audiosignal indicative of speech indicating that no variable was found,provides the audio signal to the speaker 60, and causes the speaker 60to output the signal in the form of a sound (S24).

If there is a variable for which the numeric value of the result ofcalculation of its corresponding expression for conversion of requiredwords into numerical form is not 0 (YES in S23), the executing section160 determines whether or not there are a plurality of variables forwhich the results of calculation of their corresponding expressions forconversion of required words into numerical form are equally greatest(S25). If the number of variables for which the results of calculationare equally greatest is not plural (NO in S25), the process proceeds tostep S30 (described later).

If there are a plurality of variables for which the results ofcalculation of their corresponding expressions for conversion ofrequired words into numerical form are equally greatest (YES in S25),the executing section 160 determines whether or not there is/are anexpression(s) for conversion of preferred words into numerical form(S26). If there are no expressions for conversion of preferred wordsinto numerical form (NO in S26), the selecting section 170 selects theplurality of variables, for which the results of calculation of theircorresponding expressions for conversion of required words into numericform are equally greatest, as control targets. The executing section 160carries out a text-to-speech conversion process in which the executingsection 160 generates an audio signal indicative of speech indicatingthat a plurality of variables were found, provides the audio signal tothe speaker 60, and causes the speaker 60 to output the signal in theform of a sound (S27).

In this process, the executing section 160 may carry out atext-to-speech conversion process with regard to the value of eachvariable. Also note that, in step S27, the control section 10 maycontrol the display section 20 to display the found variables so thatthe user can select which variable's value the user wishes to convertinto speech.

In a case where there is/are an expression(s) for conversion ofpreferred words into numerical form (YES in S26), the executing section160 carries out calculation of the expression(s) for conversion ofpreferred words into numerical form with regard to the variables forwhich the results of calculation of their corresponding expressions forconversion of required words into numerical form are equally greatest(S28). With regard to step S28, for the name “set temperature of tankA1”, the expression (temperature & set) evaluates to (0 & 0)=0. For thename “current temperature of tank A1”, the expression(temperature+current) evaluates to (0+0)=0. For the name “level of tankA1”, the expression (remaining|level|current fill level|quantity)evaluates to (0|0|1|0)=1.

The selecting section 170 determines whether or not there are aplurality of variables for which the results of calculation of theircorresponding expressions for conversion of preferred words intonumerical form are equally greatest including 0 (S29). If there are aplurality of variables for which the results of calculation are equallygreatest including 0 (YES in S29), the process proceeds to step S27.

In a case where the number of variables for which the results ofcalculation are equally greatest including 0 is not plural (NO is S29),the selecting section 170 selects the “level of tank A1”, which is thevariable for which the result of calculation is greatest, as a controltarget. As such, the selecting section 170 selects a control targetbased on the numeric values obtained through calculation of theexpressions set by the user. Since search keywords and expressions canbe set by the user, the user can make settings for searching usingsearch keywords and expressions so that a control target(s) is/areappropriately selected.

The executing section 160 reads the value of the found variable (S30).Specifically, the executing section 160 carries out a text-to-speechconversion process in which the executing section 160 generates an audiosignal indicative of speech indicating the value of “level of tank A1”which is the control target selected by the selecting section 170),provides the audio signal to the speaker 60, and causes the speaker 60to output the signal in the form of a sound (S31). The unit for eachvariable may be set in the settings information so that the unit is alsoconverted to speech together with the value of the variable when thetext-to-speech conversion process is carried out.

As has been described, the selecting section 170 is configured suchthat: the search keyword(s) identified by the identifying section 150is/are referred to; and thereby the selecting section 170 selects acontrol target(s) based on the numeric value(s) obtained throughcalculation of an expression(s) for batch conversion of one or moresearch keywords set for the control target(s) into numerical form.Specifically, the selecting section 170 selects a control target(s)based on the following numeric values: the numeric value(s) obtainedthrough calculation of an expression(s) for batch conversion of one ormore required words set for the control target(s) into numerical form;and the numeric value(s) obtained through calculation of anexpression(s) for batch conversion of one or more preferred words setfor the control target(s) into numerical form.

Required words are words set for one or more control targets and arenecessarily referred to in order to select a control target(s).Preferred words are words set for one or more control targets and arereferred to, with highest priority except the required words, in orderto select a control target(s).

According to the configuration of the control section 10, a user caneasily carry out a search to select a control target(s) through voiceinput. The control section 10 selects a control target(s) based on thenumeric value(s) obtained by conversion of a search keyword(s) intonumerical form; therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy ofselection of a control target(s).

The user can also easily make settings for a search to select a controltarget(s), because the user only needs to set a search keyword(s) and anexpression(s) for one or more control targets. Furthermore, the user caneasily change the settings for a search to select a control target(s) sothat, even if the user does not remember the correct name of a controltarget, the control target is more appropriately selected. The controlsection 10 is capable of carrying out search processes corresponding tovarious search keywords set by the user.

In the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in a case of YES in step S26,the selecting section 170 selects a control target(s) in the followingmanner. Specifically, the selecting section 170 selects a controltarget(s) based on (i) a numeric value(s) (first numeric value(s))obtained through calculation of an expression(s) for batch conversion ofrequired words into numerical form and (ii) a numeric value(s) (secondnumeric value(s)) obtained through calculation of an expression(s) forbatch conversion of preferred words into numerical form.

Note, however, that preferred words do not necessarily need to beentered. Therefore, in a case of NO in step S25 or in a case of NO instep S26, if no preferred words are entered, the selecting section 170selects a control target(s) based on the first numeric value(s) withoutusing the second numeric value(s).

(Debug Mode)

The following arrangement may be employed: a normal mode, in which agraphics screen is displayed on the display section 20 or on the displaysection 32 of the external device 5 by the programmable display device2, the external device 5, or the like, can transition to a debug mode.The control section 10 transitions from the normal mode to the debugmode in response to user operation. With regard to the debug mode, theuser can set whether an action the user wants a control target to carryout is carried out or not.

In the debug mode, the course-of-process display control section 180controls the display section 20 of the programmable display device 2 todisplay at least one of (i) the course of a process in which theidentifying section 150 identifies a search keyword(s) matching a mainword(s) and (ii) the course of a process in which the selecting section170 selects a control target(s) based on a numeric value(s) obtainedthrough the foregoing calculation. The course-of-process display controlsection 180 also controls the display section 20 to display, during thecourse of the process in which the control target(s) is/are selected,the expression(s) for conversion of search keywords into numerical form.Note that the course-of-process display control section 180 may controlthe display section 32 of the external device 5 so that the course ofthe process and the expression(s) are displayed on the display section32.

According to the above configuration, the user can check the course ofthe process in which a search keyword(s) is/are identified and thecourse of the process in which a control target(s) is/are selected, onthe display section 20 of the programmable display device 2 and/or onthe display section 32 of the external device 5. This allows the user tocheck whether settings are made so that intended actions will be carriedout.

Note that, in a case where the control section 10 carries out a processof controlling the display section 32 of the external device 5 to carryout display, the control section 10 provides the processed content tothe interface section 90, and the interface section 90 transmits theprocessed content to the interface section 33. The interface section 33provides the processed content to the control section 31, and thecontrol section 31 carries out a process of controlling the displaysection 32 to carry out display in accordance with the processedcontent.

Furthermore, in the debug mode, the edit section 190 edits the searchkeyword(s) and expression(s) displayed on the display section 20 and/oron the display section 32 of the external device 5, in response to useroperation. Specifically, upon the user operation to the touch panel 30,the edit section 190 edits the search keyword(s) and expression(s) inaccordance with the user operation.

The user can edit the search keyword(s) and expression(s) by operatingthe external device 5 and thereby proving an instruction to the editsection 190 of the programmable display device 2. Alternatively, theuser can download the search keyword(s) and expression(s) at a time fromthe programmable display device 2 and edit them on the touch panel 34 ofthe external device 5, in order to improve the efficiency of editingwork. In this case, the user uploads, to the programmable display device2, the search keyword(s) and expression(s) edited on the touch panel 34.

The edit section 190 overwrites the search keyword(s) and expression(s)stored in the user memory 40 with the edited search keyword(s) andexpression(s). This configuration makes it possible for the user to edita search keyword(s) and expression(s) displayed on the display section20 or on the display section 32 of the external device 5 so that a moreappropriate control target(s) is/are selected.

In a case where editing work is carried out on the programmable displaydevice 2, if a screen for editing is superimposed on the original screendisplayed on the display section 20, the original screen becomesdifficult to see. To address this, by carrying out editing on the touchpanel 34 of the external device 5, the screen for editing is notdisplayed on the display section 20, and therefore it is possible toavoid the inconvenience that the original screen is difficult to see. Inaddition, the external device 5 includes an application program suitablefor editing search keywords and expressions. This makes it possible tocarry out editing more efficiently than editing on the programmabledisplay device 2.

Furthermore, the following process may be carried out in order toindicate, to the user, in what way the content of speech was interpretedor in what manner the list of candidate control targets was narroweddown. Specifically, history of speeches converted into the form of textdata, search results, and a list of ordered search results may bedisplayed on the display section 20 or on the display section 32 of theexternal device 5, or may be stored in the user memory 40 or a memory(not illustrated) of the external device 5.

(Screen Switching Process)

The following description discusses step S7, i.e., the screen switchingprocess, which is carried out by the control section 10. The screenswitching process (step S7) is different from the process oftext-to-speech conversion of variable (step S6) in that the selectingsection 170 selects a graphics screen as a control target instead ofselecting a variable as a control target. The screen switching process(step S7) is different from the process of text-to-speech conversion ofvariable (step S6) also in that the display switching control section200 carries out the screen switching process instead of the executingsection 160 carrying out the process of text-to-speech conversion of thevalue(s) of a variable(s).

The display switching control section 200 switches a graphics screencreated by a user from the currently displayed graphics screen to agraphics screen selected by the selecting section 170. In the screenswitching process, the control section 10 may identify a to-be-displayedscreen with use of the screen number or the name of the screen as arequired word, without using expressions.

(Component Search Process)

The following description discusses step S8, i.e., the component searchprocess, which is carried out by the control section 10. The componentsearch process (step S8) is different from the process of text-to-speechconversion of variable (step S6) in that the selecting section 170selects a component (object OB) as a control target instead of selectinga variable as a control target. The component search process (step S8)is different from the process of text-to-speech conversion of variable(step S6) also in that the display switching control section 200 carriesout the screen switching process instead of the executing section 160carrying out the process of text-to-speech conversion of the value(s) ofa variable(s).

The display switching control section 200 switches a graphics screencreated by a user from (i) a graphics screen is which a component(s) asa control target(s) selected by the selecting section 170 is/are notdisplayed to (ii) a graphics screen in which a component(s) as a controltarget(s) selected by the selecting section 170 is/are displayed.According to this configuration, a graphics screen in which a selectedcontrol target(s) is/are not displayed is switched to a graphics screenin which a selected control target(s) is/are displayed. This makes itpossible for the user to instantly check the selected control target(s).

Assume here that a graphics screen created by the user contains acomponent(s) as a control target(s) selected by the selecting section170 and that graphics screen is higher in resolution than the displaysection 20 or the display section 32 of the external device 5 whichdisplays the graphics screen. Assume that, in this case, the previouslydisplayed graphics screen has been switched by the display switchingcontrol section 200 to the graphics screen in which the component(s)selected by the selecting section 170 is/are displayed.

In this case, the screen movement control section 210 may control thegraphics screen to move to a location at which the component(s) as acontrol target(s) selected by the selecting section 170 is/are displayedon the display section 20 or on the display section 32 of the externaldevice 5. This is specifically described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG.6 schematically illustrates how the graphics screen moves. FIG. 6 showsdisplay on the display section 20 as an example.

Assume that, as illustrated in the upper part of FIG. 6, the graphicsscreen MP contains a component PA as a control target selected by theselecting section 170 and that the display section 20 displays a part ofthe graphics screen MP. As illustrated in the lower part of FIG. 6, thescreen movement control section 210 controls the graphics screen MP tomove to a location at which the component PA is displayed on the displaysection 20. In so doing, the screen movement control section 210compares the coordinates of the component PA before the movement withthe coordinates of a location (e.g., center) on the display section 20on which the component PA is to be displayed, decides the amount bywhich the graphics screen MP is to move, and, based on the amount ofmovement, controls the graphics screen to move. As such, the graphicsscreen MP is controlled to move so that the selected component PA isdisplayed on the display section 20, and therefore the user caninstantly check the selected component PA.

After the graphics screen MP is moved by the screen movement controlsection 210, the emphasis control section 220 may control the displaysection 20 of the programmable display device 2 to display, in anemphasized manner, the component PA as a control target selected by theselecting section 170. Alternatively, the emphasis control section 220may control the display section 32 of the external device 5 to display,in an emphasized manner, the component PA selected by the selectingsection 170.

Examples of a method of displaying a control target in an emphasizedmanner include: displaying a frame enclosing the control target;displaying a frame enclosing the control target in a blinking manner;displaying an arrow indicating the control target; displaying thecontrol target in a different color; and displaying the control targetin an enlarged manner. The configuration of the emphasis control section220 makes it possible for the user to easily identify the selectedcontrol target from among one or more control targets. The configurationalso makes it possible to prevent the user from recognizing some othercontrol target falsely as the selected control target.

Note that the screen movement control section 210 and the emphasiscontrol section 220 may carry out processes independently of each otheror may carry out processes concurrently. For example, in a case where agraphics screen MP containing many control targets is moved by thescreen movement control section 210, even if a component PA selected bythe selecting section 170 is displayed on the display section 20, theselected component PA is difficult to distinguish from other components.To address this, the component PA selected by the selecting section 170is displayed in an emphasized manner by the emphasis control section220. This makes it possible for the user to easily distinguish thecomponent PA from the other components. Thus, the screen display controlsection 230 carries out at least one of (i) a screen moving processcarried out by the screen movement control section 210 and (ii) anemphasizing process carried out by the emphasis control section 220.

(Value Setting Process)

The following description discusses step S9, i.e., the value settingprocess, which is carried out by the control section 10. The valuesetting process (step S9) is different from the process oftext-to-speech conversion of variable (step S6) in that the selectingsection 170 selects a control target(s) for which a value(s) is/are tobe set, instead of selecting a variable(s) as a control target(s). Thevalue setting process (step S9) is different from the process oftext-to-speech conversion of variable (step S6) also in that theexecuting section 160 carries out the process of setting a value(s) as acontrol target(s) instead of carrying out the process of text-to-speechconversion of the value(s) of a variable(s).

In a case where a confirming operation is carried out to prevent wrongoperation when, for example, the value setting process (step S9) iscarried out or control target is carried out, the following arrangementmay be employed:

after a control target(s) is/are selected by the selecting section 170,a user can carry out the confirming operation through an input meansother than voice input. Examples of such a means other than voice inputinclude: a “Confirm” button on the touch panel 30; and a “Confirm”switch provided external to the programmable display device 2.

Embodiment 2

The following description will discuss Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention with reference to FIGS. 2, 5 and 7. For convenience ofdescription, members having functions identical to those described inEmbodiment 1 are assigned identical referential numerals, and theirdescriptions are omitted here. The following description only discussesfeatures of Embodiment 2 different from those of Embodiment 1. FIG. 7shows search conditions stored in a user memory 40 of a programmabledisplay device 2 in accordance with Embodiment 2 of the presentinvention.

The user memory 40 stores therein settings information set on a settingsscreen SS2 illustrated in FIG. 7. The settings screen SS2 is differentfrom the settings screen SS in that the entry column CF1 is replaced byan entry column CF3. A user can enter required words in the entry columnCF3. Note here that, in step S4 shown in FIG. 2, for example, if theuser speaks “What is the temperature of a cooler?”, the words “cooler”and “temperature” are extracted as main words by the extracting section140.

The executing section 160, instead of carrying out steps S21 to S23shown in FIG. 5, determines whether or not the identifying section 150has identified a search keyword(s) matching any of the main wordsextracted by the extracting section 140. Assume a case in which theexecuting section 160 has determined that the identifying section 150has identified a search keyword matching one of the main words (YES). Inthis case, the word “cooler” is extracted as a main word by theextracting section 140, and the logical value of the “cooler” as arequired word is a first logical value (1) indicating that theidentifying section 150 has determined that the required word matchesone of the main words. Therefore, the executing section 160 narrows downthe list of a plurality of candidate variables to “set temperature ofcooler” and “current temperature of cooler”, and the process proceeds tostep S25.

On the contrary, assume a case in which the identifying section 150 hasnot identified any search keyword(s) matching any of the main words(NO), that is, a case in which there are no required words that matchthe main words and in which the logical values of required words for allthe variables are second logical values (0) (indicating that theidentifying section 150 has determined that the required word does notmatch any of the main words). In this case, the executing section 160causes the process to proceed to step S24. In this manner, the executingsection 160 narrows down the list of candidate variables with use ofrequired words.

After step S25 and step S26, in step S28, the executing section 160selects an expression(s) associated with the required word(s) matchingany of the main words, and carries out calculation to convert preferredwords into numerical form using the selected expression(s). With regardto step S28, for the name “set temperature of cooler”, the expression(temperature*1+set*2) evaluates to (1*1+0*2)=1. For the name “currenttemperature of cooler”, the expression (temperature*2+current*1)evaluates to (1*2+0*1)=2. As such, the selecting section 170 selects, asa control target, the variable “current temperature of cooler”, which isa variable for which its corresponding numeric value is greatest.

As has been described, according to the configurations of Embodiments 1and 2, the selecting section 170 is configured such that: the requiredword(s) and preferred word(s) identified by the identifying section 150is/are referred to; and thereby the selecting section 170 selects acontrol target(s) based on the following (1) and (3), based on thefollowing (2) and (3), or based on the following (2). The following arethe details of (1) to (3).

(1) Identification of each of a required word(s) based on (i) a firstlogical value indicating that the identifying section 150 has identifiedthe required word and (ii) a second logical value indicating that theidentifying section 150 has not identified the required word.

(2) A numeric value(s) obtained through calculation of an expression(s)for batch conversion of one or more required words set for a controltarget(s) into numerical form.

(3) A numeric value(s) obtained through calculation of an expression(s)for batch conversion of one or more preferred words set for a controltarget(s) into numerical form.

According to the above configuration, the user only needs to set arequired word(s) and/or a preferred word(s) for one or more controltargets and to set an expression(s). This enables the user to easilymake settings for searching using a required word(s) and/or a preferredword(s) and freely change the required word(s), preferred word(s), andexpression(s) as the user wishes. Furthermore, the control section 10 iscapable of carrying out searching processes corresponding to varioussearch keywords with use of a combination of a required word(s) and apreferred word(s).

Note that, according to the arrangement mainly discussed in Embodiment2, the selecting section 170 selects a control target(s) based on theidentification of a required word(s) and on the numeric value(s)obtained through calculation of an expression(s) for conversion ofpreferred words into numerical form. On the contrary, the selectingsection 170 may select a control target(s) based on the numeric value(s)obtained through calculation of an expression(s) for conversion ofrequired words into numerical form and on the identification of apreferred word(s). The phrase “identification of a preferred word(s)”means, similarly to the identification of a required word(s) using thelogical value(s) of the required word(s) described earlier, determiningwhether the logical value(s) of the preferred word(s) is/are the firstlogical value or the second logical value.

[Software Implementation Example]

Control blocks of the programmable display device 2 (particularly, thecontrol section 10) can be realized by a logic circuit (hardware)provided in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like or can bealternatively realized by software.

In the latter case, the control section 10 includes a computer thatexecutes instructions of a program that is software realizing theforegoing functions. The computer, for example, includes at least oneprocessor and at least one computer-readable storage medium storing theprogram. An object of the present invention can be achieved by theprocessor of the computer reading and executing the program stored inthe storage medium. Examples of the processor encompass a centralprocessing unit (CPU). Examples of the storage medium encompass a“non-transitory tangible medium” such as a read only memory (ROM), atape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, and a programmable logiccircuit. The computer may further include a random access memory (RAM)or the like in which the program is loaded. Further, the program may besupplied to or made available to the computer via any transmissionmedium (such as a communication network and a broadcast wave) whichallows the program to be transmitted. Note that an aspect of the presentinvention can also be achieved in the form of a computer data signal inwhich the program is embodied via electronic transmission and which isembedded in a carrier wave.

The present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, butcan be altered by a skilled person in the art within the scope of theclaims. The present invention also encompasses, in its technical scope,any embodiment derived by combining technical means disclosed indiffering embodiments.

Aspects of the present invention can also be expressed as follows.

An information processing device in accordance with an aspect of thepresent invention includes: an identifying section configured to, byreferring to one or more search keywords set for one or more controltargets, identify at least one search keyword from among the one or moresearch keywords, the at least one search keyword matching any of one ormore main words contained in input data acquired through voice input;and a selecting section configured such that: the at least one searchkeyword identified by the identifying section is referred to; andthereby the selecting section selects at least one control target fromamong the one or more control targets based on one or more numericvalues obtained through calculation of one or more expressions each ofwhich batch-converts, into numerical form, one or more of the one ormore search keywords set for the one or more control targets.

According to the configuration, a control target(s) is/are selectedbased on the numeric value(s) obtained by conversion of a searchkeyword(s) into numerical form; therefore, it is possible to improve theaccuracy of selection of a control target(s).

The information processing device may be arranged such that: theidentifying section is configured to, in order to identify the at leastone search keyword matching any of the one or more main words, refer tothe one or more search keywords set by a user; and the selecting sectionis configured to select the at least one control target based on the oneor more numeric values obtained through calculation of the one or moreexpressions set by the user. According to the configuration, the searchkeyword(s) and expression(s) can be set by the user; therefore, the usercan make settings for searching using search keywords and expressions sothat a control target(s) is/are appropriately selected.

The information processing device may be arranged such that: the one ormore search keywords are classified into (i) one or more required wordswhich are set for the one or more control targets and which arenecessarily referred to in order to select the at least one controltarget and (ii) one or more preferred words which are set for the one ormore control targets and which are referred to, with highest priorityexcept the one or more required words, in order to select the at leastone control target; the identifying section is configured to, byreferring to the one or more required words and the one or morepreferred words, identify at least one required word from among the oneor more required words and identify at least one preferred word fromamong the one or more preferred words, the at least one required wordmatching any of the one or more main words, the at least one preferredword matching any of the one or more main words; and the selectingsection is configured such that: the at least one required word and theat least one preferred word identified by the identifying section arereferred to; and thereby the selecting section selects the at least onecontrol target based on the following (1) and (3), based on thefollowing (2) and (3), or based on the following (2):(1) identificationof each of the one or more required words based on (i) a first logicalvalue indicating that the identifying section has identified therequired word and (ii) a second logical value indicating that theidentifying section has not identified the required word; (2) one ormore numeric values obtained through calculation of the one or moreexpressions each of which batch-converts, into numerical form, one ormore of the one or more required words set for the one or more controltargets; and (3) one or more numeric values obtained through calculationof the one or more expressions each of which batch-converts, intonumerical form, one or more of the one or more preferred words set forthe one or more control targets.

According to the configuration, the user only needs to set a requiredword(s) and/or a preferred word(s) for one or more control targets andto set an expression(s). This enables the user to easily make settingsfor searching using a required word(s) and/or a preferred word(s) andfreely change the required word(s), preferred word(s), and expression(s)as the user wishes. Furthermore, the information processing device iscapable of carrying out searching processes corresponding to varioussearch keywords with use of a combination of a required word(s) and apreferred word(s).

The information processing device may further include acourse-of-process display control section configured to: control adisplay section to display at least one of (i) course of a process inwhich the identifying section identifies the at least one search keywordmatching any of the one or more main words and (ii) course of a processin which the selecting section selects the at least one control targetbased on the one or more numeric values obtained through calculation ofthe one or more expressions; and control the display section to displaythe one or more expressions during the course of the process in whichthe selecting section selects the at least one control target.

According to the configuration, the user can check the course of theprocess in which a search keyword(s) is/are identified and the course ofthe process in which a control target(s) is/are selected, on the displaysection. This allows the user to check whether settings are made so thatintended actions will be carried out.

The information processing device may further include an edit sectionconfigured to edit, in accordance with user operation, the one or moresearch keywords and the one or more expressions which are displayed onthe display section. This configuration makes it possible for the userto edit a search keyword(s) and expression(s) displayed on the displaysection so that a more appropriate control target(s) is/are selected.

The information processing device may further include a screen displaycontrol section configured to carry out at least one of: an emphasizingprocess including controlling a display section to display, in anemphasized manner, the at least one control target selected by theselecting section; and a screen moving process including, in a casewhere a graphics screen created by a user contains the at least onecontrol target selected by the selecting section and where the graphicsscreen is higher in resolution than the display section which displaysthe graphics screen, moving the graphics screen to a location at whichthe at least one control target selected by the selecting section isdisplayed on the display section.

The configuration makes it possible for the user to easily check theselected control target(s). The configuration also makes it possible toprevent the user from recognizing some other control target falsely asthe selected control target. Furthermore, since the graphics screen iscontrolled to move so that the selected control target(s) is/aredisplayed on the display section, the user can instantly check theselected control target(s).

The information processing device may further include a displayswitching control section configured to switch a graphics screen createdby a user from a first screen to a second screen, the first screen beinga screen in which the at least one control target selected by theselecting section is not displayed, the second screen being a screen inwhich the at least one control target selected by the selecting sectionis displayed.

According to the configuration, a graphics screen in which a selectedcontrol target(s) is/are not displayed is switched to a graphics screenin which a selected control target(s) is/are displayed. This makes itpossible for the user to instantly check the selected control target(s).

A setting device in accordance with an aspect of the present inventionincludes: a communication section which is configured to communicatewith the foregoing information processing device; and a setting sectionconfigured to, in accordance with user input operation, set the one ormore search keywords and the one or more expressions for the one or morecontrol targets. The communication section may be configured totransmit, to the information processing device, the one or more searchkeywords and the one or more expressions set by the setting section.

According to the configuration, the user can easily set, through thesetting device, a search keyword(s) and an expression(s) for one or moretargets. This makes it possible for the user to easily achieve animprovement in accuracy of selection of a control target(s).

The setting device may further include: a display; and a simulationsection configured to cause the display to display at least one of:course of a process in which: the one or more search keywords set by thesetting section for the one or more control targets are referred to; andthereby the at least one search keyword matching any of the one or moremain words contained in user input data inputted by a user is identifiedin a simulation manner; and course of a process in which the at leastone control target is selected in a simulation manner based on the oneor more numeric values obtained through calculation of the one or moreexpressions each of which converts, into numerical form, one or more ofthe one or more search keywords set by the setting section for the oneor more control targets.

According to the configuration, the user can pre-check, through thesetting device, whether or not a process to select a control target(s)is carried out properly on the information processing device.Furthermore, since the identifying process and selecting process aredisplayed in a simulation manner on the setting device before the searchkeyword(s) and expression(s) are transmitted to the informationprocessing device, the user can easily check whether or not a process toselect a control target(s) is carried out properly.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1 PC (setting device)

2 programmable display device (information processing device)

10 control section

12 display

13 interface section (communication section)

20 display section

32 display section

111 setting section

112 simulation section

150 identifying section

170 selecting section

180 course-of-process display control section

190 edit section

200 display switching control section

230 screen display control section

1. An information processing device comprising: an identifying sectionconfigured to, by referring to one or more search keywords set for oneor more control targets, identify at least one search keyword from amongthe one or more search keywords, the at least one search keywordmatching any of one or more main words contained in input data acquiredthrough voice input; and a selecting section configured such that: theat least one search keyword identified by the identifying section isreferred to; and thereby the selecting section selects at least onecontrol target from among the one or more control targets based on oneor more numeric values obtained through calculation of one or moreexpressions each of which batch-converts, into numerical form, one ormore of the one or more search keywords set for the one or more controltargets.
 2. The information processing device as set forth in claim 1,wherein: the identifying section is configured to, in order to identifythe at least one search keyword matching any of the one or more mainwords, refer to the one or more search keywords set by a user; and theselecting section is configured to select the at least one controltarget based on the one or more numeric values obtained throughcalculation of the one or more expressions set by the user.
 3. Theinformation processing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the oneor more search keywords are classified into (i) one or more requiredwords which are set for the one or more control targets and which arenecessarily referred to in order to select the at least one controltarget and (ii) one or more preferred words which are set for the one ormore control targets and which are referred to, with highest priorityexcept the one or more required words, in order to select the at leastone control target; the identifying section is configured to, byreferring to the one or more required words and the one or morepreferred words, identify at least one required word from among the oneor more required words and identify at least one preferred word fromamong the one or more preferred words, the at least one required wordmatching any of the one or more main words, the at least one preferredword matching any of the one or more main words; and the selectingsection is configured such that: the at least one required word and theat least one preferred word identified by the identifying section arereferred to; and thereby the selecting section selects the at least onecontrol target based on the following (1) and (3), based on thefollowing (2) and (3), or based on the following (2): (1) identificationof each of the one or more required words based on (i) a first logicalvalue indicating that the identifying section has identified therequired word and (ii) a second logical value indicating that theidentifying section has not identified the required word; (2) one ormore numeric values obtained through calculation of the one or moreexpressions each of which batch-converts, into numerical form, one ormore of the one or more required words set for the one or more controltargets; and (3) one or more numeric values obtained through calculationof the one or more expressions each of which batch-converts, intonumerical form, one or more of the one or more preferred words set forthe one or more control targets.
 4. The information processing device asset forth in claim 1, further comprising a course-of-process displaycontrol section configured to: control a display section to display atleast one of (i) course of a process in which the identifying sectionidentifies the at least one search keyword matching any of the one ormore main words and (ii) course of a process in which the selectingsection selects the at least one control target based on the one or morenumeric values obtained through calculation of the one or moreexpressions; and control the display section to display the one or moreexpressions during the course of the process in which the selectingsection selects the at least one control target.
 5. The informationprocessing device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising an editsection configured to edit, in accordance with user operation, the oneor more search keywords and the one or more expressions which aredisplayed on the display section.
 6. The information processing deviceas set forth in claim 1, further comprising a screen display controlsection configured to carry out at least one of: an emphasizing processcomprising controlling a display section to display, in an emphasizedmanner, the at least one control target selected by the selectingsection; and a screen moving process comprising, in a case where agraphics screen created by a user contains the at least one controltarget selected by the selecting section and where the graphics screenis higher in resolution than the display section which displays thegraphics screen, moving the graphics screen to a location at which theat least one control target selected by the selecting section isdisplayed on the display section.
 7. The information processing deviceas set forth in claim 1, further comprising a display switching controlsection configured to switch a graphics screen created by a user from afirst screen to a second screen, the first screen being a screen inwhich the at least one control target selected by the selecting sectionis not displayed, the second screen being a screen in which the at leastone control target selected by the selecting section is displayed.
 8. Asetting device comprising: a communication section which is configuredto communicate with the information processing device recited in claim1; and a setting section configured to, in accordance with user inputoperation, set the one or more search keywords and the one or moreexpressions for the one or more control targets, the communicationsection being configured to transmit, to the information processingdevice, the one or more search keywords and the one or more expressionsset by the setting section.
 9. The setting device as set forth in claim8, further comprising: a display; and a simulation section configured tocause the display to display at least one of: course of a process inwhich: the one or more search keywords set by the setting section forthe one or more control targets are referred to; and thereby the atleast one search keyword matching any of the one or more main wordscontained in user input data inputted by a user is identified in asimulation manner; and course of a process in which the at least onecontrol target is selected in a simulation manner based on the one ormore numeric values obtained through calculation of the one or moreexpressions each of which converts, into numerical form, one or more ofthe one or more search keywords set by the setting section for the oneor more control targets.